Nut Brown Ale - Ithaca Beer Company

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle received as an extra from israel a while back. Thanks, man! Into my Stone pint glass. The notch on the bottle tells me I'm drinking this a couple of months past I should have

A: Deep ruddy brown with a solid mocha-colored head that fills the rest of the glass before settling to a disk. Crystal clear.

S: Leafy earthy hops up front with some pleasing butterscotch and nutty, toffee malts coming through. Rather robust

T: Starts off with a solid earthy and leafy hop character with a pleasing mild sweetness with a mild nutty character coming though. Dries up on the finish, leaving a light bitterness. Good stuff

M: Light to medium, well carbonated and nice finish

D: I'd drink another and regret not drinking this sooner

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 23:22:46 | More by DefenCorps

tpd975

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I came home today to find a nice package from beertruth which included this as an extra. To my suprise I also found that my dog was not doing too good.

Well I just got back from the emergency vet where I had to put him down. Seems as though a tumor in his stomach exploded.

For my brown friend I decided to drink a brown ale to remember him.

A: Pours a dark nutty brown hue with a nice creamy tan head. Nice retention and lace.

S: Aroma of caramel, brown sugar, and lots of roasted malt.

T: Nutty toffee, chocolate, coffee, and caramel. Nice roasty quality as well.

M: Medium in body, smooth and creamy.

D: Good, enjoy sipping this one as I remember my old friend.

Cheers, Dexter. We loved you and will miss you my big brown long eared friend!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 02:00:59 | More by tpd975

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown with a reddish hue. There's a 1/2" of brownish, thick, foamy head with decent retention. The nose has notes of caramel, coffee, and roasted malt. The taste nutty with notes of coffee and caramel. The coffee and roasted malts play a large role here. The nutty flavor is earthy and hangs around on the palate for quite a while. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.

This is a pretty good beer, but for the style the roasty, coffee-like notes are a little intense. It's definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 20:57:27 | More by tdm168

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a nonic pint glass.

L - chestnut brown color with a beige head that thinned to a ring.
S - chocolate malt and roasted nuts.
T - roasted nutty flavor upfront with a hint of chocolate and coffee tossed in.
F - medium bodied with a smooth feel.
D - easy drinking brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 02:55:17 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12-oz. bottle into stein on 11/14/07. Best by date: Dec. 2007.

A - Deep brown with chestnut hues and small, beige head. Modest carbonation. Not much head retention and virtually no lacing.

S - Nutty malt aroma with traces of coffee and sweet caramel. Not much happening in the hops department.

T - First sips reveal caramel and roasted nuts, followed later by a slightly bitter coffee aspect and dark chocolate.

M - Creamy texture overall, though mildly prickly on the tongue and a tad bit thin on the palate. Not as bold or chewy as other nut brown ales I've had in the past.

D - The low alcohol and low hop bitterness make this easily drinkable. Would go well with a bowl of beef stew in the autumn months.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2007 23:27:01 | More by ffejherb

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep reddish brown color with sparse off-white head.
Smell is a nice combination of chocolate, roasted malt and over-ripe fruit.
Taste also shows a dark fruitiness, along with some coffee and chocolate notes.
Rich and full in mouth with a nice nutty finish. A opleasant mild bitterness also begins to show through as the beer slowly warms.
Nice beer with good drinkability. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2007 00:19:33 | More by tgbljb

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a standard pint glass. Poured a dark brown with copper highlights; not quite opaque, but pretty hard to see through. Quarter inch off-white head thinned into a consistent skim of foam. Generous watery lacing with some spotty adherence. Scent of malt and slightly nutty, but fruity esters are also detectable (reminded me of a belgian-style brew for some reason) in the nose. More flavors of malt; caramel flavoring is now pronounced, with a touch of sweet nutty goodness. Slightly effervescent mouthfeel makes this a very good session brown.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2008 23:14:32 | More by Jwale73

Gmann

New York

3.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a chocolate brown color, fairly light, small to average tan head that settled into a sparse cap. The aroma is of a light roasted malt, a nice nutty scent, and a hint of smoke. The flavor is of roasted chestnuts, brown bread malt, and a touch of metal and lemon. The feel is rather light and watery for the style, fizzy carbonation, finishes fairly balanced. A nice tasting brown ale, good nut flavors. The appearance and feel are a bit subpar. Overall a decent English Brown Ale, nice nut presence.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 23:57:52 | More by Gmann

Durge

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A nice dark coffee colored brew with a healthy tan head and average lacing. The smell is wholesome nut brown ale stuff. A little toffee, hint of chocolate. And mostly it's that good old nuttiness that you taste. A very smooth feel with perfect carbonation for the style, refreshing but tastey. I got a touch of bitter finish but not much. This is just a nice, pleasant brown ale, probably a good introduction for the uninitiated, on the sweet side. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2007 23:37:03 | More by Durge

ngeunit1

California

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark brown color that is just slightly clear around the edges and a find of frothy off-white head atop. The head fades down to a ring around the edges lacing nicely in the process.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet roasted caramel malts and lots of nutty aromas. Also a touch of coffee mixed in as well.

T - Starts off with some nice roasted flavors and a bit of coffee flavor mixed in. Through the middle some nutty flavors come out alongside some stronger roasted flavor. The finish is a mix of roasted coffee and some sweet caramel that lingers nicely.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and fairly crisp. The roasted flavors really linger nicely on the tongue. Feels a touch watery.

D - Very drinkable. The flavors are for the most part nicely balanced and I like the nuttiness in the beer. The sweetness and roasted flavors are also really nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 21:16:26 | More by ngeunit1

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on a visit to the Finger Lakes. Overall perception is of chocolate malt and roasted grains. Deep brown color with very little head. Not much in the way of hops. Enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2002 12:45:30 | More by Suds

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle

Appearance - The beer pours a dark brown almost black colour with an average size fizzy light brown head. I can't see much carbonation due to the darkness, and there is an average amount of lacing. The head lasted for only a minute or two before it began to disappear.

Smell - burnt nuts, chocolate, coffee, malts, cherries

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation on the palette and the beer feels light yet creamy. I can really taste roasted almonds and coffee mixed with chocolate. There is also a lot of malt flavour. The beer finishes with a slightly bitter coffee aftertaste.

Drink - I was on the fence with this one, I think it might have a little too much carbonation but it was still a decent beer. Probably worth a try if you haven't tasted it already.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 14:12:51 | More by spinrsx

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A brown body that lets light through at all times, and a small off-white head that has some fairly good retention, but fails to leave behind any lacing.

The aroma has a hint of chocolate, with some toasted (not roasted, just lightly toasted) grains. There are some pale sweet malts in there too, but they do not quite constitute a caramel scent.

Ithaca Nut Brown has a hint of chocolate, a light nuttiness, and some toasted grain. Really the flavor is mostly pale malt that adds some sweetness. I like it, but it lacks the strong flavors to be a great brown ale.

The body is really light; I would like to see a little bit more heft to it.

Overall, a decent beer, but not one of my favorites from Ithaca.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 23:15:35 | More by Hojaminbag

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler, the beer is an auburn-brown coloring with a filmy, yellowish ring of head. Aromas of roasted mocha and hazelnut. Flavors of hazelnut and peanut, blended with a coffee backbone that is dark and bitter. The aftertaste leans more towards the roasted coffee character, with a bit of an Amaretto type presence. Slick, roasted, and slightly bitter finish. Different.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 00:04:33 | More by GarthDanielson

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured in to pint glass

A - Medium brown colour that was ever-so-slightly translucent. Small amount of light brown head.

S - Hazelnut and sweet caramel with some toffee. A very robust nose.

T - A generous but not overwhelming nut flavour with some sweet caramel. I've been disappointed by many nut brown ales that barely had a discernible nut flavour, and this certainly does not fall in to that category.

M - Light body with some chew.

D - An excellent example of this style. Will definitely buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 19:42:47 | More by TheSevenDuffs

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Off tap at the brewery this beer was a gorgeous garnet color with two fingers of khaki-colored head. The retention was ok and the lacing in thin sheets. The aroma was of nuts, roasted malt and toasted malt. The flavors were similar with a delicious kick of nuts at the end. However, it was very one-sided and pretty watery. A session beer, sure, but not a good one. The mouthfeel was creamy but a bit slick, the body medium/watery and the carbonation medium/low.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2010 15:56:45 | More by thekevlarkid

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

bottle courtesy of good friend stopper! I am drinking a chilled sample in a pint glass.
The beer pours a clear mahogany that reveals deep ruby highlights when held to a light. A small beige colored fluffy head foams up easily and fades slowly.
Aroma is rich malty caramel and chocolate with some almond hints mixed in.
First sip reveals a velvety smooth body with average and rolling carbonation that fits with the general smooth texture of the beer.
Flavor is nice and malty. Roasted malt mixes with chocolate and caramel completely. The flavor is the same from start to finish. While not overly complex I really enjoy the taste and it is very easy to drink this beer. It is definitely on the sweet side, but not cloyingly IMO.
A well made and simple beer that I could drink quite a few of!
Give it a shot some day

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2005 01:35:39 | More by sulldaddy

Redrover

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had a couple of pints of this at the Crowne Plaza’s State Street Pub in downtown Rochester.

The beer was served in a standard pint glass. It was a darkish brown with a beige head. There was some nice lace on the glass.

The nose is sweet with a bit of molasses with roasted grains.

The taste is a little sweet, a bit nutty and a hint of alcohol. I get some dark fruits later.

The mouth is just thick enough and the carbonation is a bit high. Mildly sessionable brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2006 17:53:51 | More by Redrover

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a plain ole 12 oz'er without much more than a basic brown clear hue, but I give credit that this is fairly dark mahogany topped with a decent khaki cap.

Scents are good for a brown with plenty of grainy oatmeal and cereal.

First swigs: Toasted malt to perfection. Really bold toasted grain like Farinq breakfast cereal. Pure grainy brown here. Some caramel meets the nutty flavor. Some buttery toffee notes round out this brown. Slight nutty linger to the finish.

Medium bodied, with plenty of standard carbonation.

Last swigs: Brown ales tend to be boring, IMHO but this one actually has some grainy oatmeal goodness. Tasty but still a brown. Thanks to IthacaBaron for the chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2006 03:47:46 | More by blitheringidiot

Chaney

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Valhalla in NYC.

Served in a pint glass.

A: Poured out a brown color that was substantially more cloudy in the middle and fairly transparent around the edges. The slight head, while small, still stuck around for a good bit.

S: Both nutty and caramely, farily potent, and with a fresh brown sugar bill along with a lit-kerosene lamp type of fiery smokiness.

T: Yep, lots of roast on this one... more so than many people had given it credit for even. It reminded me somewhat of Alaskan Smoked Porter in this regard.

M: Much more nutty and smokey that mapley or syrupy, with no booze detected, and some moderate lacing left on the glass.

O: Either I was just in the mood for this type of brew or maybe I'm just more of a fan of this style than most. Nevertheless, I thought this was tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 23:28:00 | More by Chaney

homebrew311

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Received via trade with BriMaster56.

A: pours a slightly cloudy light brown, no head to speak of, appears rather lifeless in the glass

S: nose features healthy dose of roasted malts, mild caramel notes, no hops

T: taste is nothing like the nose promised, very thin and watery up front, muted ashy malts, bad balance, not quite as enjoyable as I had hoped

MF: very light body, mild carbonation

O: the nose is quite nice with this brew, but that's where it ends. The taste just doesn't add up, very bland.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 06:03:22 | More by homebrew311

Brenden

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The appearance is weaker than I've come to expect from Ithaca. The color is a clear light brown. A small but creamy and compact head forms and dissipates after some time, leaving a thin ring of lacing at the top of the glass and no lacing otherwise.
The nose is prominently malts with a light caramel character and notes of roasted grains and perhaps chocolate. It's a little sweet with the light stringency some nut browns unfortunately tend toward.
The flavor is a bit better than the aroma. There's a bit more of a coffee note, the chocolate, while pretty weak, is stronger than on the nose, and the astringency in the nose seems to fade out of the flavor early on.
The mouthfeel is something of a letdown: pale, thin, and somewhat overly carbonated. The body is lighter than it ought to be.
Especially after Cascazilla, this one is completely unimpressive.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 13:34:39 | More by Brenden

Phelps

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A generous extra from inlimbo77, poured into my newcastle schooner.

Deep chestnut, almost completely opaque. The cream-colored head is about half an inch tall and fizzy, becoming a silky thin top layer within just a few seconds.

Nutty! The nose is a variety pack of peanuts, chestnuts, walnuts. Sweet wort and milk chocolate make up the other half of the aroma. Pretty fantastic.

The flavor is a more subdued, earthy version of the aroma. Nuts are softer, hops are bigger, and there’s a finish of tangy, dusty grain. Notes of milk chocolate linger in the background.

Carbonation is medium-high and pinching, bringing out just a bit of fizz. Body is velvety and medium. Mild bitterness.

Ithica’s Nut Brown isn’t a bad example of the style at all. Smells great but tastes just bit too tangy for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 06:09:44 | More by Phelps

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep chestnut color. Pours a 1 finger beige head that disepates quickly. Laced in thin, inconsistent patches.

S: Nuts and roasted malt with some caramel and coffee. Did not detect any hop characteristics.

T: Consistent with smell with caramel and roasted nuts. Bitter coffee and dark chocolate follow.

M: Medium body. Cabonation in good balance. Smooth and creamy. Not as big and "chewy" as some others.

D: Low abv and light bitterness make this easily drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2008 02:45:46 | More by Haybeerman

far333

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear ruby-chestnut colo with a beige retiring head. Inviting aroma of sweet toasted malt and some hops. flavor is surprisingly smokey upfront, some toasted malt and resinous powdered cocoa, charred bark, and faint hints of honey and maple syrup. mouthfeel is smooth but somewhat tannic, moderately carbed. Surprised by the smoke in a nut brown, but it's a decent drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2006 14:18:03 | More by far333